Contact:
Bill Daddi
Daddi Brand Communications
[email protected]
646-370-1341
917-620-3717
Carolina Milanesi
[email protected]
@caro_milanesi
Tablets’ Value Proposition Still Unclear to Mainstream Consumers
53% of US consumers interviewed in 4Q13 said they will not buy a tablet in the next 12 months.
New York, March 26 – In 4Q13, tablet penetration in the United States reached 37%, a growth
of 54% compared to the same period in 2012, according to data released today by Kantar
Worldpanel ComTech. Growth, however is slowing down year over year and the task of
convincing consumers who have not yet invested in a tablet to take the plunge will become
increasingly more difficult. Fifty-three percent of US consumers interviewed in 4Q13 said they
will not buy a tablet in the next 12 months while 34% were unsure.
“As you would expect for a market that started in 2010 with the first generation iPad, tablet
awareness among consumers is high with only 4% of non-owners saying they have never heard
of such a device”, said Carolina Milanesi, Chief of Research at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
“However, with 67% of people who were unsure if they will buy a tablet in the next 12 months
saying that they know very little about them, there is no doubt that vendors need to improve
their messaging around the value of owning and using a tablet.”
A weak value proposition is not only impacting the ability to convert tablet-rejecters but is also
strictly linked to the fact that 47% of consumers who were unsure, and 25% of consumers who
will definitely not buy a tablet in the next 12 months, find prices to still be too high. With cheaper
models coming to market, the average spend on tablets in the US market has been decreasing
from $326 in 4Q12 to $300 in 4Q13. “It is clear that wanting to know more about tablets, and
finding them expensive, are two sides of the same coin. For mainstream consumers tablets are
still a nice to have and not a must have,” continued Mrs. Milanesi.
Chart 1: Reasons for being unsure whether to buy a tablet or not
Chart 2: Reasons for not buying a tablet
Among those who are not planning to buy a tablet 72% said that they are happy with their
current laptop/PC and 42% said they are just not interested. Despite the common belief that the
lack of the keyboard is a major factor for rejecting tablets, only 20% of our respondents said
they are not planning to buy a tablet because of this.
“With more hybrid devices coming to market with larger screens, more powerful and powerefficient processors consumers’ consideration for tablets as an alternative to their current PCs
will increase, if the price is right, of course” said Mrs. Milanesi.
Value proposition is determined in part by the level of engagement consumers can achieve with
the device both in terms of frequency of use and the range of features and services they
access. In essence, the higher the engagement, the higher the stickiness that the device, as
well as the brand, can achieve.
Chart 3: Frequency of use of tablet areas by brand
Apple, Amazon and Samsung are the top 3 brands in the US market, owning 43%, 24% and
11% of the installed base respectively. Looking at these brands, it is clear that iPad users are
the most engaged with 32% of users saying they use their iPad constantly throughout the day
and 42% saying they use it at least once a day. iPad users are also those that use the widest
range of apps and services available on the device. Samsung tablets’ users come next with
24% using their devices constantly throughout the day and 41% using it at least once a day.
Amazon comes last with only 18% of owners using their Kindle Fire constantly throughout the
day and 40% using it at least once a day.
“As smartphone screen-sizes continue to creep up impacting tablets with smaller screens and
hybrids continue to blur the line between tablets and PCs, vendors will have to increase their
focus on clearly segmenting their offerings and sharpening their marketing message” concluded
Mrs. Milanesi.
About Kantar Worldpanel ComTech’s Tablet Research
The information used in this release is based on the research extracted from the Kantar
Worldpanel ComTech US consumer panel. Conducting over 240,000 interviews per year in the
US alone, ComTech tracks ownership and purchasing of device, carrier connections, billing and
usage in the mobile phone and tablet market. The data included in this release does not include
enterprise sales.
About Kantar Worldpanel
Kantar Worldpanel is the world leader in consumer knowledge and insights based on
continuous consumer panels. Its High Definition Inspiration™ approach combines market
monitoring, advanced analytics and tailored market research solutions to deliver both the big
picture and the fine detail that inspire successful actions by its clients. Kantar Worldpanel’s
expertise about what people buy or use – and why – has become the market currency for brand
owners, retailers, market analysts and government organizations globally.
With over 60 years’ experience, a team of 3,000, and services covering more than 50 countries
directly or through partners, Kantar Worldpanel delivers High Definition Inspiration™ in fields as
diverse as FMCG, impulse products, fashion, baby, telecommunications and entertainment,
among many others.
For further information, please visit us at www.kantarworldpanel.com/comtech and follow us on
Twitter https://twitter.com/kwp_comtech
About Kantar
Kantar is the data investment management division of WPP and one of the world's largest
insight, information and consultancy groups. By connecting the diverse talents of its 13
specialist companies, the group aims to become the pre-eminent provider of compelling and
inspirational insights for the global business community. Its 28,500 employees work across 100
countries and across the whole spectrum of research and consultancy disciplines, enabling the
group to offer clients business insights at every point of the consumer cycle. The group’s
services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies.
For further information, please visit us at www.kantar.com
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